Transmissions
by ninemelodies
Summary: "Everything is okay," Axel says, and even though he knows it to be otherwise now, back then, he truly believed it. He never knew what would occur only months from then, and even then he was kept in the dark for weeks before he could squeeze out what was truly wrong. They only ever sent him the good tapes, after all. They claimed that he didn't need to worry because everything was f


_Transmission #1  
June 30, 20-  
Demyx_

 _I'm heading out now, to test the first hyper drive ever invented. Even if it functions properly it'll take me four months to reach where Axel has been drifting. I know something is wrong, even if they won't tell me what it is. I don't trust them. I haven't since they stopped sending me Axel's transmissions a month ago. I hope to god that I'm not too late to save Axel from whatever is wrong._

Demyx plays back the recording, to make sure it can be heard, before pressing send. In the silence left behind, a button clicks and the sound of whirring can be heard. Demyx is silent, making sure he can hear everything Axel transmitted from the outreaches of the solar system. "I'm coming Axel," he whispers in the pauses between words.

 _Transmission #1  
January 1, 20-  
Axel_

 _Today is launch day. I'm nervous. So many things could go wrong and my anxiety is through the roof. I'm pretty sure I would've chickened out already if Demyx hadn't reassured me that they'd checked the rocket a hundred times by now. The boss says it's time to go. I don't know when I'll be able to check in again, so goodbye, for now._

 _Transmission #2  
January 2, 20-  
Axel_

 _Turns out that the next time is today. It only took us one day to reach orbiting altitude outside Earth. It's going to be a long ride from here on out. We've got to make it all the way to the other side of the galaxy, after all._

The whirring sounds speeds up as Demyx skips though the next couple of transmissions. He knows what they all say because he's heard them before. "Everything is okay," Axel says, and even though he knows it to be otherwise now, back then, he truly believed it. He never knew what would occur only months from then, and even then he was kept in the dark for weeks before he could squeeze out what was truly wrong. They only ever sent him the good tapes, after all. They claimed that he didn't need to worry because everything was fine.

 _Transmission #32  
February 1, 20-  
Axel_

 _I know I'm supposed to be doing these every day, and I will, but it gets a little tiring when all you have to say is "Everything is fine." But I guess if it makes Demyx feel better, I will._

Demyx skipped more, knowing that nothing is wrong yet. Nothing went truly wrong until later, when he stopped receiving updates from the company that sent Axel out to space. The only indication he had that something was wrong was that Axel would never stop contacting. Not unless something was dearly wrong. He'd had an inkling for weeks that they were only sending him the good transmissions, but the tape that began to play next just proved the theory he'd had.

 _Transmission #151  
June 1, 20-  
Axel_

 _I think something is wrong with this ship. The manual says that occasional creaking and groaning is normal, but I think it's something more than that. Something is wrong here. Each day it feels like the ship is breaking more and more. Worse than that, I can't get ahold of mission control at all. I don't know what to do. I feel hopeless, trapped out here in the depths of space. I should've just stayed home._

And that tears at Demyx's heart more than the isolation does now. He knows that the only reason Axel ever went into space was because of him. The thought made Demyx want to throw himself from the hatch, but he knew that wouldn't solve anything, especially when he was just a day away from the wreckage of Axel's ship. He had to find Axel. Demyx just couldn't believe that Axel was dead. He couldn't just let him die, out here in the inky void of space.

 _Transmission #258  
September 15, 20-  
Axel_

 _I really miss Demyx now. It's so quiet up here. All I want is to hear his laugh again, or even his music. When I get home I'm going to get him to play a million songs for me. Maybe I'll even record one, just so that something like this never happens again. I still think something is wrong with the ship, but it seems to have settled again. I can't be sure, but I think I hear something moving outside the hull. Maybe it's a space parasite…..maybe I'm just going crazy. After all, Demyx was the only one who could calm my paranoia to a manageable level._

Demyx almost smiled when he realized that Axel missed him so much. But upon the harsh reminder that Axel was probably dying a slow and painful death right now, his face hardened. He was going to make it to Axel, even if it meant his own death. He pressed the hyper drive button harshly, knowing that every second he wasted was another second in which Axel could be hurting. _  
_

_Transmission #273  
September 30, 20-  
Axel_

 _Turns out I wasn't just being paranoid. What I thought was a space parasite turned out to be something much worse. There's a leak in the oxygen tank. The computer says there is only enough left to last me another month. I'm going to die out here, and I don't know what scares me most, death or the loneliness._

 _Transmission #300  
October 27, 20-  
Axel_

 _The computer just told me I have three days left, if I'm lucky. I know no one is coming for me, so I've given up hope. This may be my last transmission. I can't waste the oxygen on sending another. Goodbye._

Demyx pauses the tape. He knows it's time to make another transmission, even if all he wants to do is say fuck it and keep flying.

 _Transmission #2  
October 27, 20-  
Demyx_

 _I'm a week from Axel's last known location. The last transmission I received from him was today, and it didn't sound good. He's running out of time and I'm wasting time sitting here talking about bullshit. But I guess I'll tell them what they want to hear because if I don't I know they'll sue me. The hyper drive worked great on the trip there. Let's hope it holds out on the trip back.  
_

This time Demyx doesn't even bother to make sure that the recording can be heard properly. He pushes send aggressively and goes back to piloting through space. He knows that what he just sent will definitely get him in trouble, but it's their fault he's out here anyway. When they built Axel's ship, they checked everything hundreds of times. Everything except for the life-support system. The person who built it assured them it was safe, even though it was cheap. And because they didn't check it or the company who made it, they never realized that the company was known for skimping on proper metal for the tanks. One tiny scrape, and the entire life-support system was toast.

 _Transmission #3  
October 30, 20-  
Demyx_

 _I've found his ship! I'm boarding it now, safety be damned. Axel, please be alright._

Demyx stops the recording, punches send, and then is flying out of his seat to his suit. He knows that rushing into it like this isn't safe, but he knows Axel is in there somewhere. When he's safely in his suit, he flings the hatch open and steps onto Axel's ship. It's devoid of life and eerily silent, but underneath all of that, he can hear a silent hiss. He takes that as a good sign; it means the oxygen tank isn't quiet empty yet.

He proceeds quickly, checking every place he could think of that Axel could be. This ship is a labyrinth, and he knows he's running out of time. Already the hiss from the oxygen tank is quieter than it was when he boarded. Twisting around, he struggles to think of where Axel would go. Suddenly he realizes that there is only one thing that Axel loves more than Demyx, and it is his bed. Axel loves to sleep.

Demyx takes off at a run, careening around corners just to make it to the living quarters he passed on the way in. He felt so stupid. He should've realized where it was sooner, before the hiss from the tank had quieted away to nothing. The clock was ticking, and he had wasted precious time hunting in useless spots. A human could only survive without oxygen for four minutes, and by now he only had two left.

He wills himself to go faster, and soon the door to the living quarters is within sight. Shoving the door open, he rushes inside. On the bed is Axel, breathing shallowly. Frantic, Demyx scoops him up and rushes back to his ship. The only thought on his mind is getting Axel to safety. Reaching behind him, he pulls the tube from his oxygen tank and holds it to Axel's face. He knows that it's dangerous, but he doesn't care.

Practically diving into his ship, he pushes the close hatch button with his foot and drops Axel. Ripping on his helmet, he wills the cabin to pressurize and be filled with oxygen again. Blackness starts creeping on the edges of his vision before the friendly computer announces that the air is breathable. Demyx gulps down oxygen like a drowning man. The more he breathes in, the more the blackness recedes from his vision. Before long he can breathe normally and he sets his sights on Axel, who is breathing steadily but still hasn't woken.

Suddenly, Demyx feels something wet slide down his cheeks. He didn't even realize he was crying, but Axel was alive. He was alive and safe and something told Demyx that he would wake up soon, so Demyx picked Axel up, tucked him safely in bed and began to plot a course back home.

 _Transmission #4  
October 30, 20-  
Demyx_

 _He's safe. He's alive. Heading home._

 _Transmission #5  
November 3, 20-  
Demyx_

 _Axel woke up today._

 _Transmission #6  
March 1, 20-  
Demyx_

 _We're home._


End file.
